CONTENT PAGE CHAPTER A PART 1 PRELIMINARY 1.1 Name, Commencement and Application... 1 1.2 Repeal... 1 1.3 Interpretation... 1-4 CHAPTER B POSTGRADUATE STUDY BY RESEARCH PART 2 ADMISSION TO UNIVERSITY 2.1 Admission Requirements to Master s Degree... 4 2.2 Admission Requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy... 4 2.3 Admission Requirements for Doctoral Degree... 4-5 2.4 Language Requirement... 5 2.5 Conditional Offer of Admission... 5 2.6 Validity Period of Admission Offer... 5 2.7 Revocation of Admission Offer... 5-6 2.8 Application for Re-Admission... 6 PART 3 DURATION OF STUDY 3.1 Permitted Duration of Study... 6 3.2 Extension of Duration of Study... 6 PART 4 REGISTRATION 4.1 Registration of Admission... 6 4.2 Semester Registration... 7 4.3 Code for Status Registration... 7-8 4.4 Deferment of Study... 8 4.5 Suspension of Study... 8 4.6 Change of Mode of Registration... 8-9 4.7 Registration of Prerequisite Course... 9 4.8 Registration of Pre-requirement Course... 9 4.9 Transfer of Faculty/Centre/Institute... 9 4.10 Change of Area of Study... 9-10 PART 5 FEES 5.1 Payment of Fees..... 10 5.2 Refund of Fees...... 10 PART 6 SUPERVISION 6.1 Categories of Supervision... 10 6.2 Criteria for the Appointment of Supervisor(s)... 10-11 6.3 Change of Supervisor and/or Categories of Supervision... 11-12 6.4 Student s Progress Report... 12 PART 7 THESIS 7.1 Thesis Writing... 12 7.2 Notice of Thesis Submission... 12 7.3 Submission of Thesis for Examination... 12-13 7.4 Submission of Thesis after viva voce... 13 7.5 Final Thesis Submission... 13 PART 8 FINAL EVALUATION 8.1 Final Evaluation... 13 8.2 Viva voce Committee... 13-14 Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] i
8.3 Viva Voce... 14 8.4 Thesis Evaluation... 14-15 8.5 Appeal against viva voce Result... 15 PART 9 CANDIDATURE STATUS 9.1 Candidature Status... 15-16 PART 10 RE-ACTIVATION OF STUDENT S STATUS OF CANDIDATURE 10.1 Re-Activation of Student s Status of Candidature... 16 PART 11 GRADUATION 11.1 Requirement for Degree Conferment... 16-17 11.2 Requirement for the Conferment of Posthumous Degree... 17 CHAPTER C POSTGRADUATE STUDY BY COURSEWORK PART 12 ADMISSION TO THE UNIVERSITY 12.1 Admission Requirements for Postgraduate Diploma... 17 12.2 Admission Requirements for Master Degree by Coursework... 17-18 12.3 Admission Requirements for Master Degree by Mixed Mode (Coursework and Research).. 18 12.4 Admission Requirements for Doctoral Degree by Coursework or Mixed Mode... 18 12.5 Language Requirement... 18-19 12.6 Conditional Offer of Admission... 19 12.7 The Validity Period of Admission Offer... 19 PART 13 STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMME 13.1 Course Component... 19-20 13.2 Permitted Candidature... 20 13.3 Total Credit Hours To Graduate... 20 PART 14 REGISTRATION 14.1 Admission Registration... 20 14.2 Course Registration... 20-21 14.3 Pre Requirement Registration... 21 14.4 Registration of Malay Language Course... 21 14.5 Registration of Audit Course... 21 14.6 Late Registration... 21 14.7 Total Credit Hours Taken... 21-22 14.8 Duration for Drop and/or Add Course... 22 14.9 Duration for Withdrawal from the Course... 22 14.10 Short Semester Registration... 22 14.11 Repeat Course Registration... 22 14.12 Deferment of Candidature... 22-23 14.13 Suspension of Candidature... 23 14.14 Change of Mode of Registration... 23 14.15 Change of Programme of Study... 23 PART 15 CREDIT TRANSFER 15.1 Application for credit transfer... 24 PART 16 FEES 16.1 Payment of Fees... 24-25 16.2 Refund of Fees... 25 PART 17 EVALUATION AND EXAMINATION 17.1 Evaluation... 25 17.2 Requirements for Examination... 25 Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] ii
17.3 Postponement of Final Examination... 25-26 17.4 Replacement Examination... 26 17.5 Submission of Thesis/Dissertation/Research Project/Practicum/Internship/ Teaching Training... 26 17.6 Result of Evaluation and Final Examination... 26 17.7 Review of Course Grade... 26-27 PART 18 GRADE VALUE AND STATUS 18.1 Grade and Grade Value... 27 18.2 Code Status for Non-value Grade... 27-28 PART 19 CUMULATIVE GRADE VALUE 19.1 Calculation of Unit and Cumulative Grade Value (CGV)... 28 19.2 The Methods of Calculating Cumulative Grade Value... 28-29 PART 20 CANDIDATURE STATUS 20.1 Candidature Status given to a student... 29 20.2 Interpretation of the Candidature status given to the student as the followings... 29-30 20.3 Appeal to Continue Study... 30 PART 21 GRADUATION 21.1 Requirements for the Conferment of Degree... 30 21.2 Requirement for the Conferment of Posthumous Degree... 31 CHAPTER D PART 22 GENERAL PROVISIONS 22.1 General... 31 Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] iii
POSTGRADUATE STUDIES RULES UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SABAH In exercise of the powers conferred by section 37 (1) of the Constitution of the Universiti Malaysia Sabah, (P.U. (A) 460/2010), the Board makes the following rules: CHAPTER A PART 1 PRELIMINARY 1.1 Name, Commencement and Application 1.1.1 These rules shall be cited as the Universiti Malaysia Sabah Postgraduate Studies Rules 2015 and shall come into force on the date specified by the Senate. 1.1.2 These rules shall apply to all students who are pursuing for Postgraduate Programmes leading to conferment of the award of Masters degree, Masters of Philosophy degree or Doctoral degree. 1.2 Repeal 1.2.1 The Postgraduate Studies Rules 2008 as approved by the Senate and the amendments made thereto shall be repealed. 1.3 Interpretation 1.3.1 In these rules:- Act means The Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 [Act 30]; APEL means Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning, which is an accreditation programme prescribed by MQA; Audit means course which is taken yet does not have accumulative grade and its evaluation comes in the form of pass or fail only; Faculty/Centre/Institute means academic institution at the university which offers academic programmes undertaken by the student throughout his candidature at the university; Degree means Doctoral Degree or Masters Degree or Postgraduate Diploma; Posthumous Degree means a degree which may be conferred to a student who passed away during his candidature; Academic Dishonesty means offences committed by students under Rule 6 (Prohibition against plagiarism) and Rule 8 (Conduct during examination) Universiti Malaysia Sabah Rules (Students Disciplinary) 1999 [P.U (A) 210/1999]; Credit means weightage value for a credit hour which is compatible to the learning or teaching hour which is compatible to a semester; Audit Course means the course whereby a PASS is compulsory but does not contribute to the computation of credit hour; Elective Course means elective course offered at the programme level as specified by the Faculty/Centre/Institute and a PASS is compulsory; Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 1
Minor Course means a course which may be taken by a student from any degree programme as specified by the Faculty/Centre/Institute and a PASS is compulsory; Prerequisite Course means a specific course which shall be taken and a PASS is compulsory before a student is allowed to take another course in the respective programme as determined by the Faculty/Centre/Institute; Pre-Requirement Course means a specific course which shall be taken and a PASS is compulsory before a student is allowed to commence the research study or commence any programme at Faculty/Centre/Institute, subject to the prerequisite as approved by the Faculty/Centre/Institute; Faculty Core Course means a course offered at the Faculty level and a PASS is compulsory; Programme Core Course means a course offered at the Programme level and a PASS is compulsory; Mixed Mode means a study programme which comprises at least 50% of research component; Registration Mode means type of registration for a study either Full Time or Part Time; MQA means Malaysian Qualification Agency, an agency established under Malaysian Qualifications Agency Act (Act 679); MQR means Malaysian Qualifications Register, a source of references and guidelines pertaining to higher education programme which has already been accredited and awarded by the higher education provider either local or overseas; Active Registered Student means a student who has registered for the current semester; Student means an individual who has registered for a postgraduate Programme study at the University; Inactive Registered Student means a student who does not register for the current semester; Internal Examiner means a university lecturer who is appointed by the University to evaluate student s thesis/dissertation; External Examiner means a lecturer/individual from external institution/university having expertise who is appointed by the University to evaluate student s thesis; Credit Hours Transfer means a process of transferring the credit hours obtained in postgraduate study from a Higher Institute of Education either local or abroad which is recognised by the Senate; Deferment of Study means the student s candidature is deferred for whatever reasons; Course Registration means the registration of a course enrolled by a student throughout his candidature at the University; Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 2
Suspension of a Student means a student who is penalised under Rule 48(d) Universiti Malaysia Sabah Rules (Students Disciplinary) 1999 or section 150 of the Universities and Colleges Act 1971 (Act 30); Final Evaluation means student s thesis evaluation; Evaluation means any form of measurement used to evaluate student s performance in a course undertaken by the student (either in t he form of quiz, test, mid semester examination, assignment, course work or others) as specified by the Faculty/Centre/Institute; Postgraduate Programme Coordinator means a lecturer who is appointed by the University to coordinate the postgraduate programme(s) at the respective Faculty/Centre/Institute; Supervisor means a University lecturer or an individual from outside of the University who is responsible to supervise a student; Final Examination means an examination which is carried out within specified period at the end of each semester; CGPA means cumulative grade point average acquired by a student for all semesters that he has taken; CGPS means cumulative grade point semester acquired by a student in a semester; Mobility Programme means an academic programme approved by the Senate undertaken by a student at any Institute of Higher Education recognised by the Senate; Programme of Study means an academic programme as specified by the Senate which leads to the conferment of degree; Postgraduate Programme of Study means a study programme either at doctoral, master of philosophy, master or postgraduate diploma; Repeat viva voce means the repeat of oral examination; Review of Course Grade means a review of marks computation for overall student s evaluation (project, quiz, assignment, mid -semester examination and so forth) including answer script of the final examination; Semester means a period of study which is not less than 14 lecture weeks; Short Semester means a period of study which is not less than seven (7) lecture weeks; Senate means the University s Senate; Session means a period of study comprising two normal semesters and a short semester as determined by the Senate; Postgraduate Student Information Systems means an information management system pertaining student s candidature; Structure of Study means mode of study either by research or taught course; Structure of Programme means curriculum components and candidature that Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 3
comprise of the determined courses for graduation purposes Academic Year means a period of twelve months whereby the dates of commencement and the end which are determined by the Vice Chancellor/Senate; Period of Study means a prescribed period for a student to fulfil all study requirement for the purpose of graduation; University means Universiti Malaysia Sabah; Examination Zone means space, area, place or building which is designated for the venue of final examination. CHAPTER B POSTGRADUATE STUDY BY RESEARCH PART 2 ADMISSION TO UNIVERSITY 2.1 Admission Requirements to Master s Degree 2.1.1 Candidate who wishes to enrol in a Master s degree postgraduate programme shall fulfil the following requirements:- (d) (e) attain a Bachelor s degree or its equivalent from any higher education institution recognised by the Senate and with a minimum CGPA of 2.75; or attain a Bachelor s degree or its equivalent with minimum CGPA of 2.50 and not meeting CGPA 2.75, can be accepted subject to rigorous internal assessment; or attain a Bachelor s degree or its equivalent not meeting CGPA 2.50, can be accepted subject to a minimum of five (5) years working experience in relevant field; or passes APEL (subject to the programme approval from MQA); or other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute accepted by the Senate. 2.2 Admission Requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy 2.2.1 A candidate who intends to enrol in the Master Degree of Philosophy programme shall attain at least a Bachelor s Degree with CGPA 3.00 from University or any higher education institution recognised by the Senate. 2.3 Admission Requirements for Doctoral Degree 2.3.1 A candidate who intends to enrol in the Degree of Doctoral Philosophy programme shall fulfil the following requirements:- attain a Master s degree from any higher education institution recognised by the Senate; or possess other qualifications equivalent to a Master s Degree and accepted by the Senate; or is currently pursuing for a Master s Degree at the University and has shown Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 4
excellent performance in the first two (2) semesters and the conversion is approved by the Senate; or (d) other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute and accepted by the Senate. 2.4 Language Requirement 2.4.1 International candidate from a country that does not use English language as its medium shall at least: Band 5 in an English language IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or obtains score 500 (writing)/173 (on line) TOEFL test (Test of English as a Foreign Language); or pass English Language course conducted by the University and obtains at least grade B. 2.4.2 The validity of the result for the requirement prescribed in subrule 2.4.1 and shall not exceed two (2) years from the date of the issuance of the result. 2.4.3 Subrule 2.4.1 is inapplicable if:- the candidate obtains his Bachelor s degree or Master s degree or Master of Philosophy degree from higher education institution which uses English Language as its medium provided that the candidate shall bring forth the supporting documents from the respective higher education institution; the candidate obtains degree from any universities in Malaysia; or the usage of English language is not required for his programme of study. 2.5 Conditional Offer of Admission 2.5.1 The candidate may be given a conditional offer if he does not fulfil subrule 2.1.1 but he is in the final semester of his Bachelor s degree subject to his CGPA and equivalent final qualification acquired by him is deemed as fulfilment of the requirements of admission. 2.5.2 The candidate who is given a conditional offer shall be given full admission offer upon showing the proof that subrule 2.1.1 has been fulfilled before or on the registration day. 2.5.3 The conditional offer shall be revoked if the candidate fails to show the required proof of qualification within the prescribed time frame. 2.6 Validity Period of Admission Offer 2.6.1 The admission offer shall be valid for one (1) academic year only. 2.6.2 A candidate who intends to defer his admission registration shall notify in writing to the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies within a period of two (2) weeks from the date of issuance of the offer letter. 2.7 Revocation of Admission Offer 2.7.1 Offer for the admission shall be revoked automatically if:- Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 5
the candidate does not apply in writing to the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies within the prescribed period. Deferment maybe allowed not more than two (2) consecutive semesters. the candidate who does not register after the approved duration of deferment lapses. 2.7.2 The candidate shall make a new application upon the revocation of the admission offer. 2.8 Application for Re-Admission 2.8.1 A student who fails his programme of study in any university shall register with a new research study. 2.8.2 A student who fails his programme of study in any university may use his initial research study conducted at the previous university provided that the approval and consent in writing has been given by the student s supervisor at the previous university. 3.1 Permitted Duration of Study PART 3 DURATION OF STUDY 3.1.1 Permitted duration of study is as listed in the table below:- Mode of Registration Level of Study Full Time Part Time Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Master/Master of Philosophy Degree 2 semester 6 semester 4 semester 8 semester Doctoral Degree 4 semester 8 semester 6 semester 12 semester.. 3.2 Extension of Duration of Study 3.2.1 A student who has reached his maximum duration of study shall apply in writing to extend the duration of study within the first two (2) weeks of his last semester. The student shall obtain consent from the supervisor and confirmation from the Dean of Faculty/ Director of Centre/Institute and approved by the Postgraduate Studies Committee. 3.2.2 The permitted extension of the duration of study is as listed in the table below:- Level of Study Mode of Registration Full Time Part Time Master/Master of Philosophy Degree 2 semester 4 semester Doctoral Degree 4 semester 6 semester 3.2.3 The failure to complete the study within the permitted time given will render the student s status to be terminated without any written notification from the University. 4.1 Registration of Admission PART 4 REGISTRATION 4.1.1 A candidate who is being offered to pursue for Postgraduate programme shall register within a period of two (2) weeks from the date of registration specified by the University. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 6
4.2 Semester Registration 4.2.1 The student shall pay the fees and register in every semester within a period of two (2) weeks from the date of registration specified by the University. 4.2.2 Student is not allowed to register in the subsequent semester until all outstanding fees are paid. 4.2.3 Student may register upon Supervisor s certification of his progress report and approved by the Postgraduate Studies Committee at the Faculty/Centre/Institute. 4.2.4 Student may register late until the fourth week and student shall pay late penalty amounting RM200. 4.2.5 Student who does not register after the fourth week shall be given the status of suspension of candidature without any written notification from the University. 4.2.6 Student who does not register for two (2) consecutive semesters shall be terminated from his studies without any written notification from the University. 4.2.7 Student who has submitted his thesis for examination is deemed as inactive and is not required to register in the following semester and is not entitled to use any of the University s facilities unless a written permission is given by the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies. 4.2.8 Student whose viva voce result is deferred shall register in the determined semester and pay the following charges: (d) Insurance. University s Services. Medical Card for the Full Time student. The Fees for Repeat viva voce (if necessary). 4.3 Code for Status of Registration 4.3.1 Code for status of registration is as follows:- A AN AV TPP NR Active Register in the current semester Active Submitted the Notice of Thesis Submission Active Awaiting viva voce Deferment of Admission Registration Not Register in the Current Semester 4.3.2 The Interpretation for the code for status of registration is as follows:- (d) A means a student who is registered in the current semester. AN means a student who has registered in the current semester and has submitted the Notice of Thesis Submission. AV means a student is awaiting viva voce. TPP means a student who has deferred the University s registration. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 7
(e) NR means a student who does not register in the current semester. 4.4 Deferment of Study 4.4.1 An application to defer may be made prior to the commencement of the new semester or latest on the second week of the intended semester of deferment. An application made after the second week shall only be considered on medical ground(s) provided it is certified by the Panel Doctor appointed by the University or any government hospitals or other reasonable ground(s). 4.4.2 An application of deferment shall be supported by the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute for the approval of the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies. 4.4.3 A student is not allowed to defer his study more than two (2) consecutive semesters throughout his candidature unless it is on medical ground(s) provided it is certified by the Panel Doctor appointed by the University or any government hospitals or other reasonable ground(s). 4.4.4 The approval for deferment of candidature is based on semester to semester basis. 4.4.5 The deferment is inapplicable to the approved extension of semester. 4.4.6 A student whose application of deferment is approved is deemed to be an inactive registered student in the respective semester and is not entitled to use any facilities provided by the University unless for gaining advice to resume his study. 4.4.7 The period of deferment of study shall not be counted in the calculation of student s candidature as provided in Rule 3.1. 4.5 Suspension of Study 4.5.1 A student shall be suspended from his candidature if:- fail to register in any semester within the stipulated time; or is convicted by the University s Students Disciplinary Committee and punished under Rule 48(d) Universiti Malaysia Sabah Rules (Students Disciplinary) 1999 (P.U.(A) 210/1999); or in breach of subsection 15D(1) and (7) Universities and Colleges Act 1971 (Act 30). 4.5.2 The period of suspension of study shall be counted in the calculation of student s candidature as provided in Rule 3.1. 4.5.3 A student whose candidature is suspended shall activate the status of his candidature in the subsequent semester under the subrule 4.5.1 by paying processing fees amounting RM300 and the tuition fees for the suspended semester. 4.6 Change of Mode of Registration 4.6.1 Student may apply to the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute for approval and notify the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies to change the mode of registration from full time to part time or vice versa. The application is only once throughout the stipulated period of study. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 8
4.6.2 The approval is subject to the remaining maximum period of candidature for the Mode of Registration applied. 4.6.3 International student shall not be allowed to change the Mode of Registration from full time to part time. 4.7 Registration of Prerequisite Course 4.7.1 A student whom prerequisite is imposed shall take and pass with at least Grade B prior to commencing the research, subject to requirement specified by respective Faculty/Centre/Institute. 4.7.2 Course shall be stated without grade value and will be given a general result in the form of pass or fail only. It is not counted in the determination of the student s cumulative grade value. 4.8 Registration of Pre-requirement Course 4.8.1 Registration of Malay Language Course all international students except students from Brunei and Indonesia shall register and pass Malay Language Course as stipulated by the University. Nevertheless an exemption may be given to the students who have pursued Malay Language Course organised by any organisation or recognised by the University s Senate in particular cases. 4.8.2 Registration of Methodology Course all students shall attend Research Methodology Course organised by the University in the first year of his candidature. failure of the student to attend Research Methodology Course is deemed as nonfulfilment of graduation requirement. 4.9 Transfer of Faculty/Centre/Institute 4.9.1 Student may apply for transfer of Faculty/Centre/Institute at any time within the current semester of study and before the third semester of candidature:- if the approval is obtained within the first seven (7) weeks of the semester, the transfer shall be of effect in the respective semester; if the approval is obtained after the stipulated duration, the transfer shall be of effect in the subsequent semester. 4.9.2 The application may only be made once throughout the candidature unless on other ground(s) as recognised by the Postgraduate Studies Committee at the Faculty/Centre/Institute. 4.10 Change of Area of Study 4.10.1 Student may apply to change the Area of Study at any time within the current semester of study and before the third semester of candidature:- if the approval is obtained within the first seven (7) weeks of the semester, the transfer shall be of effect in the respective semester; Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 9
if the approval after the stipulated duration, the transfer shall be of effect in the subsequent semester. 4.10.2 The application may only be made once throughout the candidature unless on other ground(s) as recognised by the Postgraduate Studies Committee at the Faculty/Centre/Institute. 5.1 Payment of Fees PART 5 FEES 5.1.1 It is compulsory for the students to pay all related fees in each semester. 5.1.2 All fees shall be paid at the time of registration. 5.1.3 A student who has paid the tuition fees for the current semester but the deferment of study is approved in the respective semester, hence the paid tuition fees shall be brought forward to the subsequent semester. 5.1.4 A student who has submitted his thesis to be examined before or on the fourth week in any semester shall be exempted from paying the tuition fees. 5.1.5 The fees for viva voce shall be paid at the time of submission of thesis for examination. 5.1.6 Student shall pay fees for Repeat viva voce if he is required to repeat the viva voce. 5.1.7 The fees payable is subject to changes from time to time without any earlier notification from the University. 5.2 Refund of Fees 5.2.1 A student who withdraws within the two (2) weeks of the first semester and approved by Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies is entitled for the fees refund except for the Registration Fees, Student Card, Insurance and Association Fees. 6.1 Categories of Supervision PART 6 SUPERVISION 6.1.1 Categories of Supervision comprise of:- Sole Supervision if involve the appointment of one supervisor only; or Co-Supervision a Main Supervisor and a Co-Supervisor; or Supervisory Committee comprises of at least of three (3) members including a chairman and members of the Committee. The Chairman is responsible in coordinating the supervision activities for the said student. 6.1.2 The appointment of Supervisor(s) shall be endorsed by the Senate. 6.2 Criteria for the Appointment of Supervisor(s) 6.2.1 Sole Supervisor/Main Supervisor/The Chairman of Supervisory Committee for: Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 10
Doctoral student: i. a University academic holding the post of Professor or Associate Professor; or ii. a University academic possessing a doctoral degree having at least two (2) years experience in teaching and research, or had been a Co- Supervisor or Member of Supervisory Committee. Master/Master of Philosophy Student: i. a University academic holding the post of Professor or Associate Professor; or ii. iii. a University academic and having Doctoral degree or equivalent; or a University academic other than subrule 6.2.1(i) and (ii) shall have at least five (5) years experience in teaching and research, or had been a Co-Supervisor or Member of Supervisory Committee and subject to the Senate s approval. (d) The University academic shall have relevant expertise in the student s area of research. Notwithstanding paragraph, if the Chairman of Postgraduate Supervisory Committee may not be appointed due to non-fulfilment of paragraphs and above, therefore the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute shall be appointed as the Chairman. 6.2.2 Co-Supervisor/Member of Supervision Committee shall be:- A University academic possessing a Doctoral Degree or Master Degree or an individual from outside of the University/Industry having relevant expertise in the student s area of research; or A University academic or an individual from outside of the University who does not fulfil paragraph shall obtain the Senate s approval. 6.2.3 The University academic who is currently pursuing his study at the Master Degree or Doctoral Degree either full or part time shall not be appointed as Supervisor/Main Supervisor/Co-Supervisor/The Chairman or a Member of Supervisory Committee. 6.2.4 A Supervisor who is transferred or ends his service shall neither be the Main Supervisor nor the Chairman of Supervisory Committee. 6.2.5 Supervisor or a Member of Supervisory Committee shall not have any family relationship with the student who is in his supervision. 6.2.6 A contract academic staff or Research/Lecturer Fellow shall supervise together with at least a University academic holding a permanent post. 6.3 Change of Supervisor and/or Categories of Supervision 6.3.1 A student may apply:- to change Supervisor(s). Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 11
to change the Categories of Supervision. to add member in the Categories of Supervision. 6.3.2 An application to change Supervisor and/or Categories of Supervision shall be made within the first two (2) semesters of his candidature. An application may bemade after the first two (2) semesters of his candidature if Supervisor/Main Supervisor/The Chairman of the Supervisory Committee transfers/ends his service/retires. 6.3.3 Supervisor(s) may withdraw from the supervision within the first two (2) semesters of the candidature. Faculty/Centre/Institute is responsible in appointing a new Supervisor(s). 6.3.4 An application to change or modify stipulated in this rule shall be endorsed by the Senate. 6.4 Student s Progress Report 6.4.1 Student shall submit the Form for Progress Report to the Supervisor at the time stipulated in the Academic Calendar. 6.4.2 Student may be terminated from his candidature if the Progress Report is weak and Conditional status has been given for two (2) consecutive semesters. 6.4.3 Supervisor shall report and endorse the progress and actual performance of the student within the given stipulated time. 7.1 Thesis Writing PART 7 THESIS 7.1.1 Student shall write the thesis by adhering to Universiti Malaysia Sabah Writing Style Guidelines as prescribed by the Senate. 7.1.2 Student shall not re-use his thesis derived from his candidature at other university. 7.2 Notice of Thesis Submission 7.2.1 Student shall complete and submit the Notice of Thesis Submission to the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies within three (3) months prior to the submission of thesis for examination. The Notice is valid for nine (9) months from the date of the Notice of Thesis Submission is received by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies. 7.2.2 The inability of the student to submit the thesis within stipulated time shall render the Notice submitted earlier is revoked, and the student is required to submit a new form. 7.2.3 The Student shall be required to have a status of Active Student at the time of submission the Notice of Thesis Submission. 7.3 Submission of Thesis for Examination 7.3.1 The Student must have proof-read the text related to language usage in the thesis if requested by the Faculty/Centre/Institute prior to the submission of thesis for examination. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 12
7.3.2 The Master/Master of Philosophy Student shall submit three (3) copies of thesis and the Doctoral Student shall submit four (4) copies of thesis to Centre for Postgraduate Studies after the Senate ratifies the Examiners Committee. 7.3.3 The Student shall submit one (1) Review of Plagiarism Report which is verified by the Faculty/Centre/Institute. 7.4 Submission of Thesis after viva voce 7.4.1 The student shall submit the thesis after the correction has been carried out within the stipulated time to Centre for Postgraduate Studies for format checking. 7.4.2 The student may only apply once (1) for an extension of the thesis submission. The application shall be made through Supervisor/the Chairman of the Supervisory Committee and submitted to the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies for approval. 7.4.3 The failure to make the correction and submit the thesis within the stipulated time shall be given a Fail. 7.5 Final Thesis Submission 7.5.1 Upon verification to the amendment and thesis formatting from Centre for Postgraduate Studies, the student is required to submit one (1) copy of bound thesis with hard cover and one (1) copy of compact disc to the Centre for Postgraduate Studies. PART 8 FINAL EVALUATION 8.1 Final Evaluation 8.1.1 The student s final evaluation comprises of Thesis Evaluation and viva voce. 8.1.2 Thesis Evaluation shall be carried out by:- (i) one (1) External Examiner and two (2) Internal Examiners for a Doctoral student. (ii) two (2) External Examiners and one (1) student is an employee of the University. Internal Examiner if the Doctoral one (1) External Examiner and one (1) Internal Examiner for a Master student. 8.1.3 Viva voce shall be carried out by the Viva voce Committee after an evaluation of the thesis is carried out by Internal Examiner and External Examiner in accordance with subrule 8.1.2. 8.2 Viva voce Committee 8.2.1 Viva voce Committee shall comprise of:- the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies or representative appointed as the Chairman; and Internal Examiner and/or External Examiner in accordance with subrule 8.1.2; and the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute or representative where the Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 13
8.3 Viva voce student is registered; and (d) one (1) other member appointed as an observer by the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies. 8.3.1 Viva voce shall be convened upon receipt of all examiners report. 8.3.2 Viva voce shall be convened if the Chairman of the Thesis Examination Committee, the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute or representative or at least one (1) examiner is present. The Supervisor, The Chairman of the Supervisory Committee and/or other member(s) in the Supervisory Committee may be appointed as the observer(s). 8.3.3 The Student shall be awarded a Pass if all examiners are satisfied with the student s thesis and the student s ability in defending his thesis. 8.3.4 The Student who fail to attend viva voce without any reasonable ground is deemed as Fail in the said examination. 8.3.5 Re viva voce shall only be allowed once (1) only. 8.4 Thesis Evaluation 8.4.1 Thesis evaluation is made after the Student has made a presentation in the viva voce. The decision shall be categorised as follows:- (d) Thesis is accepted without correction. The student s thesis is accepted for the degree conferment without correction other than typographical error(s). Thesis is accepted subject to minor amendment/correction and modification within a maximum period of three (3) months. The student s thesis is accepted with minor corrections comprise of amendment to the formatting, library search, references and other corrections as deem necessary by the Viva voce Committee. The student shall submit the amended thesis and verified by the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute within a maximum period of three (3) months from the date of viva voce. Thesis is accepted subject to major amendment/correction and modification within a maximum period of six (6) months. The student s thesis is accepted with major corrections comprise of the changes/corrections to the research objectives, methodologies, research analysis, discussion on the research findings and other major corrections as deem necessary by viva voce Committee. The student shall submit the amended thesis and verified by the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute within a maximum period of six (6) months from the date of viva voce. The result of viva voce is deferred and the student is required to rewrite within a maximum period of 12 months and submit the thesis for second examination. The student is required to re-write the thesis because it does not conform to the scope of graduation, the research does not adhere to the research objectives, methodologies, analysis and insufficient discussion of research findings, the need to enhance the research or data collection and other major corrections as deem necessary by Viva voce Committee. The student shall submit the amended thesis and verified by the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute within a Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 14
maximum period of 12 months from the date of viva voce. (e) (f) The Thesis is accepted as a Master of Philosophy thesis and corrections shall be done subject to the correction proposed by the Viva voce Committee The thesis does not achieve the level of scholarship of a doctoral degree and requires improvement to its research objective, methodologies and rewrite the discussion and its research findings. Fail and re submission of thesis for examination is not allowed. The thesis fails to fulfil the level of scholarship of a Master/Doctoral Degree, or elements of plagiarism are detected. 8.5 Appeal against viva voce result 8.5.1 An appeal against the viva voce result shall only be made if:- there is situation that adversely affect the student s performance which is unknown to the examiners when the examination is conducted. there is evidence that shows procedural non-compliance in conducting the said examination that warrants doubt which may affect a different result. there is evidence of injustice or incorrect evaluation by one or more examiners. 8.5.2 A student shall unlikely refute the declaration by the examiner which is based on academic value. 8.5.3 An appeal shall be made to Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies within 30 days after the date of the first viva voce. 8.5.4 Appeal decision is final and conclusive. 9.1 Candidature Status PART 9 CANDIDATURE STATUS 9.1.1 The student candidature is categorised as follows:- a) Allowed to continue candidature. b) Allowed to continue candidature on condition, if: i. a full time student fails to present the research proposal within three (3) semesters for Doctoral and two (2) semesters for Master s student. ii. a part time student fails to present the research proposal within four (4) semesters for Doctoral and three (3) semesters for Master s student. iii. iv. a Doctoral and Master student who fails to present study s progress report at least once within a year (two (2) semesters) subject to the respective Faculty/Centre/Institute. student fails to comply any condition (s) agreed between the supervisor and student. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 15
c) TP1 Deferment of Candidature for the first time a student who has been approved to deferment his candidature for the first time in accordance with Rule 4.4. d) TP2 Deferment of Candidature for the second time a student who has been approved to deferment his candidature for the second time in accordance with Rule 4.4. e) TG Suspension of Candidature a student is suspended of his candidature in accordance with Rule4.5. f) TD Withdrawal from candidature a student withdraws his candidature. g) GB Fail and Terminated a student who fails in accordance with subrule 8.4.1 (f) or fail to make correction and submit the thesis within the stipulated time in accordance with subrule 7.4.3 h) BT Terminated from candidature:- i. a student who does not register for two (2) consecutive semesters ( subrule 4.2.6) ii. iii. iv. if being given Conditional status for two (2) consecutive semesters. if a student fails to complete his candidature within the stipulated time. if a student is dismissed from the University in accordance with the Universiti Malaysia Sabah Rules (Students Disciplinary) 1999 (P.U.A 210). PART 10 RE-ACTIVATION OF STUDENT S STATUS OF CANDIDATURE 10.1 Re-Activation of Student s Status of Candidature 10.1.1 A student who has been given a status of termination from his candidature in accordance with subrule 4.2.6 and/or subrule 9.1.1(h) (i),(ii) and (iii) may appeal to continue his candidature within 30 days from the date of termination and shall pay:- application processing fees amounting RM300. tuition fees for the semester which is not registered. 10.1.2 In interpreting the above subrule 10.1.1 a student may only make such appeal only once throughout his candidature. 10.1.3 The approval of student s application to appeal is subject to the Senate s approval. 11.1 Requirement for Degree Conferment PART 11 GRADUATION 11.1.1 A student shall be conferred the Degree upon fulfilment of all requirements of Postgraduate Study Graduation including:- fulfilment of all requirements stipulated by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 16
(d) (e) pass the viva voce which is verified by the Postgraduate Study Committee and endorsed by the Senate. submitted hard bound thesis and a copy of compact disc within the time stipulated by Viva voce Committee Members. settle all debts and liabilities owed to the University throughout the candidature. fulfil the Rule7.5 (Final Submission of Thesis). (f) a master student shall submit : (i) one (1) refereed publication which has been accepted for publication (ii) one (1) presentation in seminar/colloquium (g) a doctoral student shall submit:- (i) two (2) refereed publication which has been accepted for publication whereby at least one (1) of the publications is indexed; and (ii) one (1) presentation in seminar/colloquium. (h) all the above requirements shall be fulfilled by the student prior to submission of the hard bound thesis for the graduation purpose. 11.1.2 The subrule 11.1.1 (f) and (g) shall not apply to the students of cohort 2013/2014 and preceding sessions. 11.2 Requirement for the Conferment of Posthumous Degree 11.2.1 A student shall be conferred the Posthumous Degree if the student has submitted the draft of thesis for viva voce examination. CHAPTER C POSTGRADUATE STUDY BY COURSEWORK PART 12 ADMISSION TO THE UNIVERSITY 12.1 Admission Requirements for Postgraduate Diploma 12.1.1 Candidate who wishes to pursue in a Postgraduate Diploma study programme shall fulfil the following requirements:- attain a Bachelor s degree or equivalent from any higher education institution recognised by the Senate and with a minimum CGPA of 2.50; or attain a Bachelor s degree or equivalent not meeting CGPA2.50, can be accepted subject to minimum of five (5) years working experience in related area; or other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute accepted by the Senate. 12.2 Admission Requirements for Master Degree by Coursework 12.2.1 Candidate who wishes to pursue in a Master Degree study programme shall fulfil the following requirements:- attain a Bachelor s degree or equivalent from any higher education institution Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 17
recognised by the Senate and with a minimum CGPA of 2.50; or (d) attain a Bachelor s degree or equivalent not meeting CGPA of 2.50, can be accepted subject to minimum of five (5) years working experience in related area; or pass APEL (subject to the approved programme(s) by MQA); or other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute accepted by the Senate. 12.3 Admission Requirements for Master Degree by Mixed Mode (Coursework and Research) 12.3.1 Candidate who wishes to pursue in a Master Degree study programme shall fulfil the following requirements:- (d) (e) attain a Bachelor s degree or equivalent from any higher education institution recognised by the Senate and with a minimum CGPA of 2.75; or attain a Bachelor s degree or equivalent with minimum CGPA of 2.50 and not meeting CGPA of 2.75, can be accepted subject to rigorous internal assessment; or attain a Bachelor s degree or equivalent not meeting CGPA of 2.50, can be accepted subject to a minimum five (5) years working experience in a relevant field; or pass APEL(subject to the approved programme(s) by MQA); or other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute accepted by the Senate. 12.4 Admission Requirements for Doctoral Degree by Coursework or Mixed Mode 12.4.1 Candidate who wishes to pursue in a Doctoral Degree shall fulfil the following requirements:- a) a Master s Degree accepted by the Senate; or b) any other qualification equivalent to Master s Degree accepted by the Senate. 12.5 Language Requirement 12.5.1 An international candidate from a country that does not use English language as its medium shall at least:- Band 5 in an English language IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or obtains score 500 (writing)/173 (on line) TOEFL test(test of English as a Foreign Language); or pass English Language course conducted by the University and obtains at least grade B. the validity of the result in paragraph and shall not exceed two (2) years from the date of the issuance of the result. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 18
12.5.2 Subrule 12.5.1 is inapplicable for the candidate who obtains his Bachelor Degree from higher education institution which uses English Language as its medium provided that the candidate shall bring forth the supporting documents from the respective higher education institution; 12.5.3 An international candidate obtains degree from any universities in Malaysia is not subject to the subrule 12.5.1. 12.6 Conditional Offer of Admission 12.6.1 The candidate may be given a conditional offer if he does not fulfil Rules 12.1 or 12.2 or 12.3 but he is in the final semester of his undergraduate candidature subject to his CGPA and equivalent final qualification acquired by him is deemed as fulfilment of the requirements of admission. 12.6.2 The candidate who is given a conditional offer shall be given full admission offer upon showing the proof that Rules 12.1 or 12.2 or 12.3 has been fulfilled before or on the registration day. 12.6.3 The conditional offer shall be revoked if the candidate fails to show the required proof of qualification within the prescribed time frame. 12.7 The Validity Period of Admission Offer 12.7.1 The admission offer shall be valid for the offered semester only. 12.7.2 The offer for the candidate who fails to register shall be revoked and the candidate has to make a new application. 13.1 Course Component PART 13 STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMME 13.1.1 A student shall take courses as determined by his respective programme of study comprise of:- (d) Core courses of the Faculty; and/or Core courses of the Programme; and/or Minor courses; and/or Elective courses. 13.1.2 The weightage between coursework and research that student shall take in a postgraduate programme is as follows:- Postgraduate Diploma (100% Coursework). Doctoral degree and Master by Coursework (Ratio between Coursework: Research is within range 70:30). Doctoral degree and Master by Mixed Method (Ratio between Coursework: Research is within range 50:50) Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 19
13.2 Permitted Candidature 13.2.1 Permitted duration of study is as listed in the table below:- Level of Study Full Time Part Time Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Postgraduate Diploma 2 semester 4 semester 3 semester 6 semester Master Degree 2 semester 6 semester 4 semester 8 semester Doctoral Degree 6 semester 10 semester 8 semester 12 semester 13.2.2 The failure to complete the study within the permitted time will render the student s status to be terminated without any written notification from the University. 13.3 Total Credit Hours To Graduate 13.3.1 A student shall pass a certain credit hours according to the structure of the programme as stipulated by the Senate: Postgraduate Diploma minimum 30 credit hours. Master Degree minimum 40 credit hours. Doctoral Degree minimum 80 credit hours. PART 14 REGISTRATION 14.1 Admission Registration 14.1.1 A candidate who is being offered to pursue for Postgraduate programme shall register within the stipulated time given by the University. 14.2 Course Registration 14.2.1 A student shall register all courses taken in every semester. 14.2.2 Other than a new student, pre-registration for course in any semester shall be made in week 10 and 11 in a preceding semester based on any methods stipulated by the University. 14.2.3 The course registration in subrule 14.2.2 shall be endorsed in the first week of the following semester. 14.2.4 A student who fails to confirm the registration within the stipulated time is deemed not registering the course. 14.2.5 All courses which have been registered in a particular semester shall be revoked if the student has been allowed to postpone his candidature in the said semester as provided by Rule 14.12. 14.2.6 A student who obtains CGPA less than 3.00 shall discuss with the Coordinator of the Postgraduate Programme and has obtained approval from the Dean of Faculty / Director of Centre/Institute prior to making any confirmation of course registration. 14.2.7 A student shall pay the fees and register in every semester within two (2) weeks from Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 20
the date of registration stipulated by the University. 14.2.8 A student shall not be allowed to register in the subsequent semester untill all outstanding fees are settled. 14.2.9 A student who does not register after the fourth week in each semester shall be given the status of suspension without any written notification from the University. 14.2.10 A student who does not register for two (2) consecutive semesters shall be terminated without any written notification from the University. 14.3 Pre Requirement Registration 14.3.1 A student whom prerequisite imposed shall take and pass with at least Grade B prior to commencing the Degree subject to the requisite imposed by respective Faculty/Centre/Institute. 14.3.2 The result for pre-requirement course(s) shall not be counted in calculating the cumulative average grade for the student s candidature. 14.4 Registration of Malay Language Course 14.4.1 All international students except students from Brunei and Indonesia shall register as Audit and it is compulsory to pass. 14.4.2 An exemption may be given to the students who have pursued Malay Language Course organised by any organisation or recognised by the University s Senate in particular cases. 14.5 Registration of Audit Course 14.5.1 A student may register to audit any course(s). 14.5.2 The course(s) registered as audit shall not be counted to determine the cummulative grade value. 14.5.3 A student who audit the course(s) is required to fulfill the rule(s) concerning lecture attendance, examination and others. 14.6 Late Registration 14.6.1 A student who does not comply with Rule 14.2 shall pay RM50 for each course that he intends to register prior to obtaining approval from the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies/Director of UMS External Centre/ the respective Dean of Faculty / Director of Centre/Institute. 14.6.2 A student who has been hampered from registering the course, for any grounds as stipulated in this rule(s) or any related rules, is deemed as not registered and is given the status of suspension of candidature. 14.6.3 The status of candidature suspension given by subrule 14.6.2 shall be counted in the stipulated duration of candidature. 14.7 Total Credit Hours Taken 14.7.1 A student may apply to register the total of credit hours in a semester as in the tables below:- Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 21
Mode of Registration Level of Studies Full Time Part Time Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum Postgraduate Diploma 8 credit hours 16 credit hours 6 credit hours 10 credit hours Master s Degree 9 credit hours 20 credit hours 6 credit hours 12 credit hours Doctoral Degree 10 credit hours 20 credit hours 8 credit hours 14 credit hours 14.7.2 The calculation of credit hours limit for the purpose of registration is not inclusive of Dissertation/Research Project/Practicum/Internship/Teaching Training. 14.8 Duration for Drop and/or Add Course 14.8.1 A student may add and/or drop the course(s) in week 2 to week 4 of each semester. 14.9 Duration for Withdrawal from the Course 14.9.1 The duration from withdrawal from any course(s) commences from week 5 to week 8 in the respective semester. 14.10 Short Semester Registration 14.10.1 A student shall be allowed to register not exceeding nine (9) credit hours. 14.10.2 The Drop and/or Add Process of any course(s) is not permitted in short semester. 14.11 Repeat Course Registration 14.11.1 A student is allowed to register for repeat course(s) if :- a student who fails in any course(s) taken or may replace the said course with any other course(s) if the course is an elective course; or obtains Grade B- or C+ for the course(s) which has already been taken to improve the respective grade and it is only allowed once throughout the candidature. 14.11.2 A student is allowed to replace the said course(s) with any other course(s) if it is an elective course(s). 14.12 Deferment of Candidature 14.12.1 An application to defer may be made prior to the commencement of the new semester or latest on the second week of the intended semester of deferment. An application made after the second week shall only be considered on medical ground(s) only provided it is certified by the Panel Doctor appointed by the University or any government hospitals or other reasonable ground(s). 14.12.2 An application of deferment shall be supported by the Dean of Faculty/ Director of Centre/Institute for the approval of the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies. 14.12.3 A student is not allowed to defer his study more than two (2) consecutive semesters throughout his candidature unless it is on medical ground(s) provided it is certified by the Panel Doctor appointed by the University or any government hospitals or other reasonable ground(s). 14.12.4 The approval for deferment of study is based the application from semester to Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 22
semester. 14.12.5 A student whose application of deferment is approved is deemed to be a non-active registered student in the respective semester and is not entitled to use any facilities provided by the University unless for gaining advice to resume his candidature. 14.12.6 The period of deferment of candidature shall not be counted in the calculation of student s candidature as provided in Rule 13.2. 14.13 Suspension of Candidature 14.13.1 A student shall be suspended from his candidature if:- fail to register in any semesters within the stipulated time; or is convicted by the University s Students Disciplinary Committee and punished under Rule 48(d) Universiti Malaysia Sabah Rules (Students Disciplinary) 1999 (P.U.(A) 210/1999). in breach of subsection 15D(1) and (7) Universities and Colleges Act 1971 (Act 30). 14.13.2 The period of suspension of study shall be counted in the calculation of student s candidature as provided in Rule 13.2. 14.13.3 A student whose candidature is suspended under subrule 14.13.1 shall activate the status of his candidature in the subsequent semester by paying the processing fees of the amount of RM300 and the tuition fees for the suspended semester. 14.13.4 A student may appeal against the suspension of his study only once throughout his candidature. 14.14 Change of Mode of Registration 14.14.1 A Student may apply to the Dean of Faculty/ Director of Centre/Institute and notify the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies to change the mode of registration from full time to part time or vice versa. The application is only once throughout the stipulated period of candidature. 14.14.2 The approval is subject to the remaining maximum period of candidature for the Mode of Registration applied. 14.14.3 International student shall not be allowed to change the Mode of Registration from full time to part time. 14.15 Change of Programme of Study 14.15.1 A student may apply to change the Programme of Study within the same Faculty/Centre/Institute in the first semester. 14.15.2 The approval for the change of the Programme of Study is subject to the approval of Faculty/Centre/Institute. 14.15.3 A student may only be made only once throughout his candidature unless on other ground(s) approved by the Postgraduate Studies Committee. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 23
15.1 Application for credit transfer PART 15 CREDIT TRANSFER 15.1.1 A student may apply to transfer the credit if the following requirements are fulfilled:- a student pursues for the similar Degree at other recognised university and the transfer to the University is approved by the Senate; or a student who is involved in the outbound mobility may apply to transfer the acquired credit in the equivalent course to the course that he has to take. 15.1.2 The transfer of credit is allowed for the course(s) which fulfil the requirements as follows:- for a student who has transferred to the University; i. the credit for course(s) which would be transferred shall already be taken at the similar Degree and programme only; ii. obtains at least Grade B for the course(s) taken at the similar Degree and programme only. for a student who has changed programme within the Faculty/Centre/Institute shall at least obtain Grade B for the related course(s). 15.1.3 The course(s) that may be transferred shall be from the accredited programme by MQA and listed in MQR. 15.1.4 The application must be made within the first four (4) weeks of his candidature at the University. 15.1.5 The content for the course(s) which had earlier been taken shall at least 80% comparable with the course(s) intended to be transferred at the University. 15.1.6 The total for the approved credit to be transferred shall not exceed one third (1/3) of the total credit of his study at the University. 15.1.7 Notwithstanding subrule15.1.6, the total transfer of credit hours may be approved for a student who has transferred within the University is not restricted but subject to the requirement for the transfer of credit in subrule 15.1.2. 15.1.8 A processing fee of RM300 is imposed upon each application for the transfer of credit for each course. 16.1 Payment of Fees PART 16 FEES 16.1.1 It is compulsory for the students to pay all related fees in each semester. 16.1.2 All fees shall be paid at the time of registration. 16.1.3 A student who has paid the tuition fees for the current semester yet the postponement of study is approved in the said semester; hence the paid tuition fees shall be brought forward to the subsequent semester. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 24
16.1.4 The fees payable is subject to changes from time without any earlier notification from the University. 16.2 Refund of Fees 16.2.1 A student who withdraws within the two (2) weeks of the first semester and approved by Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies is entitled for the fees refund except for the Registration Fees, Student Card, Insurance and Association Fees. 17.1 Evaluation PART 17 EVALUATION AND EXAMINATION 17.1.1 Each course offered shall have method(s) for continuing evaluation and/or final examination. 17.1.2 The evaluation for each course shall be made continuously based on coursework, final examination and other forms in a semester of study in accordance with the rule as determined by the respective Faculty/Centre/Institute subject to the Senate s approval. 17.1.3 The evaluation for the Thesis/Research Project/Practicum/Internship/Teaching Training in accordance with the rule as determined by the Faculty/Centre/Institute subject to the Senate s approval. 17.1.4 For the course(s) based on coursework together with the final examination of the semester, the percentage of coursework shall not be less than 50% of total marks, whilst the percentage of final examination shall be of a value not less than 30% and not exceeding 50%. 17.1.5 The evaluation for a course that is based upon 100% coursework may be implemented with the Faculty/Centre/Institute approval. 17.1.6 For student who is pursuing a Master Degree by Coursework, each dissertation shall be examined by at least one (1) Examiner. 17.1.7 For a student pursuing Master Degree by Mixed Mode or Doctoral Degree by Coursework, each dissertation/thesis shall be examined by at least two (2) Examiners. 17.1.8 For a Doctoral Degree by Mixed Mode, each dissertation/thesis shall be examined by at least two (2) Examiners and one (1) of them is an External Examiner. 17.2 Requirements for Examination 17.2.1 The Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute may prohibit a student from sitting an examination if he is absent more than 30% out of the specified total attendance without the permission of the Dean or Director of Faculty/Centre/Institute;. 17.2.2 The Senate may determine any means and in executing the final examination. 17.3 Postponement of Final Examination 17.3.1 A student who suffers health problem during the semester final examination shall apply to the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute to postpone the examination. The application must be made within forty eight (48) hours after the examination is held. The application shall be accompanied by the verification letter from the University s medical Officer or Government Hospital. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 25
17.3.2 The parent(s) or guardian of a student suffering critical health problem during the final examination may apply on behalf the said student by attaching the verification letter from the University s medical Officer or Government Hospital to the for the said student to postpone the examination within reasonable time. 17.4 Replacement Examination 17.4.1 For any postponement case in Rule 17.3, the Faculty/Centre/Institute shall determine the date for the replacement examination as deems suitable. 17.4.2 If the student is yet able to sit for the replacement examination on the specified day without reasonable ground, thus the student shall be given grade F for the respective course(s) and is required to re-register the course(s). 17.5 Submission of Thesis/Dissertation/Research Project/Practicum/Internship/Teaching Training 17.5.1 A student who fails to submit Thesis/Research Project/Practicum/Internship/Teaching Training on the specified date shall be given grade F or fail. 17.5.2 A student may re-register the said course and is only allowed only once throughout candidature. 17.6 Result of Evaluation and Final Examination 17.6.1 Upon the Senate s endorsement, the student shall be informed:- the grade for each course; CGPS and CGPA; status of candidature for each semester. 17.7 Review of Course Grade 17.7.1 A student, may apply for the review of course grade to the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute where the course is offered, within two (2) weeks from the date of announcement of the examination result. 17.7.2 Each application for the review is charged a processing fee of RM100 for each course. 17.7.3 An examination committee shall be set up for the purpose of reviewing the course grade. 17.7.4 The Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute where the course is offered shall establish an examination committee comprises of: the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute where the course is offered is the Chairperson or the Deputy Dean carrying out the academic function in the event whereby the Dean is unable to perform the tasks or having an interest in the reviewed paper; the Head/Programme Coordinator for the course taken; one (1) other member appointed by the Dean or Director; and (d) the initial examiner for the said course; Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 26
(e) Assistant Registrar of Faculty/Centre/Institute as the Secretary. 17.7.5 The examination committee shall review the calculation of the total marks for the student s evaluation (project quiz mid semester examination and others) including the final examination answer script. The said answer script shall be reviewed. 17.7.6 The Senate s decision pertaining the application to review the course grade is final. 18.1 Grade and Grade Value PART 18 GRADE VALUE AND STATUS 18.1.1 The examination for all registered courses in a semester shall be given grade value. 18.1.2 The Grade and Grade Point given in a course is as follows:- GRADE GRADE POINT PERCENTAGE STATUS A 4.00 80 100 Pass with distinction A- 3.67 75 79 Good Pass B+ 3.33 70 74 B 3.00 65 69 B- 2.67 60 64 Pass C+ 2.33 55 59 F 0.00 0 54 Fail 18.1.3 The Senate may determine the grade and grade point which may differ from the table in subrule18.1.2 for any programme to suit the respective programme(s). 18.1.4 Subject to the provisions in this rule, a student who does not fulfil the requirement or sit for any evaluation or sit for the final examination as stipulated in a course shall be given Grade F for the total evaluation of the respective course. 18.2 Code Status for Non-value Grade 18.2.1 Below is the status given without grade value: SM AU TD TP L/G TL X XX In Progress Audit Withdraw Postpone of Examination Pass/Fail Incomplete Absent from any evaluation Disciplinary Action Process 18.2.2 The interpretation of status without grade value is as follows: SM (In Progress) is used for any course having a thesis/dissertation/practicum/project that requires more than a semester to complete. The credit hour for the respective course is counted for the total registration of the credit hours in a semester but not for the evaluaion requirement. The credit hours and grade value is only taken into account for the purpose of calculating the overall amount of credit hours upon the grade is obtained. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 27
(d) (e) (f) (g) (h) AU (Audit) is given to the candidate who registers, attends the course and sits for the examination in a course but the grade value is given and the symbol is only recorded if the candidate passes the examination. TD (Withdraw) is given to the student who withdraws from a course with the permission of the lecturer and the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute after week 5 to week 8 of lectures. TP (Postpone of Examination) is given to any student who applies to postpone the examination on medical ground within the duration of forty eight (48) hours after the examination is held. A Replacement Examination shall be held at the nearest possible based on the student health condition. L / G (Pass/Fail) is given to the course without grade. 'TL'(Incomplete) is given with the permission of the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute to a student who does not complete at least 50% of the course requirement on reasonable ground. The student is given time to complete the assignment not less than two(2) weeks after the semester final examination in order to obtain full evaluation and grade. X is given to the student who registered for a course yet did not sit for any evaluation requirement of this course. X value is equal to 0.0. 'XX'(Disciplinary Action) is given to the student who is facing a disciplinary action in for offences under academic dishonesty cases. If convicted, the course is given grade F. If there is no conviction, the course grade given is based on the marks obtained. PART 19 CUMULATIVE GRADE VALUE 19.1 Calculation of Unit and Cumulative Grade Value (CGV) 19.1.1 The compulsory course(s) as stated in the Rule 14.2 is used to calculate the credit hours. 19.1.2 All courses taken are taken into account in determining the student s CGPS and CGPA. 19.1.3 Course(s) which is graded F and status XX shall also be taken into account in determining the CGPS and CGPA. 19.1.4 Generating CGPA for a student who repeats the course(s) which he fails is to substitute the initial grade value to the new grade value, whichever is better and shall be made without changing the CGPS for the semester which the course is taken. The changes in the CGPA will be made in the semester when the repeat examination is taken. 19.2 The Methods of Calculating Cumulative Grade Value 19.2.1 Methods of Calculating the Semester Grade Point Average (CGPS) is as follows: CGPS = The total grade value in a current semester The total credit hours for all courses in a current semester Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 28
19.2.2 Methods ofcalculating the Cummulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is as follows: CGPA = The total cumulative grade value up to the current semester The total cumulative credit hours up to the current semester PART 20 CANDIDATURE STATUS 20.1 Candidature Status given to a student:- L : Pass and continue candidature LB : Conditional Pass GB : Fail and Terminated B : Withdraw from the candidature BT : Terminated from candidature TP1 : First Deferment of candidature TP2 : Second Deferment of candidature TG : Suspension of candidature 20.2 Interpretation of the Candidature status given to the student as the followings:- 20.2.1 L (Pass and continue candidature) given to student if obtains CGPA 3.00 and above. student is given the pass status, entitles to continue his candidature. 20.2.2 LB (Conditional Pass) student is given a conditional pass if obtains CGPA between 2.33 and 2.99. student given a Conditional Pass in two consecutive semesters shall be given the status of Fail and Terminated. 20.2.3 GB (Fail and Terminated) if a student is given the status of LB for two consecutive semesters, student shall be given the status Fail and Terminated (GB). student shall be given the status Fail and Terminated (GB) if obtains CGPA less than 2.33 in any of the semester(s). a student the status Fail and Terminated (GB) will lose status and bring to an end from being a student. 20.2.4 B (Withdraw from the candidature) a student is given the status B if he withdraws from his candidature. 20.2.5 BT (Terminated from candidature) a student is given the status BT if he is terminated from his candidature. 20.2.6 TP1 (First Deferment of candidature) a student who is approved to defer his candidature for the first time. 20.2.7 TP2 (Second Deferment of candidature) Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 29
a student who is approved to defer his candidature for the second time. 20.2.8 TG (Suspension of Candidature) a student who is suspended from his candidature. 20.3 Appeal to Continue Study 20.3.1 A student who is given the status of Fail and Terminated in accordance of subrule 20.2.3 may appeal to the Senate by adhering to the requirements below: appeal shall be allowed only once throughout his candidature; a student shall pay the processing fees of RM300 as stipulated by the University; obtains permission to appeal from the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute within two (2) weeks from the date the status of Fail and Terminated is announced ; 20.3.2 The appeal shall be brought by the Faculty/Centre/Institute to Postgraduate Studies Committee prior to present it for the Senate s approval. 20.3.3 In considering an appeal from a student who is given the status of Fail and Terminated, the Senate may - allow the student to resume his study, the student shall register in the next semester and not in the semester which the appeal is presented. Nevertheless, the semester which the appeal is presented shall not be taken into account as part of the calculation of maximum duration of candidature; or dismiss the appeal. 20.3.4 The Senate s decision in subrule 20.3.3 is final and no further appeal can be made. PART 21 GRADUATION 21.1 Requirements for the Conferment of Degree 21.1.1 A student shall be conferred the Degree upon fulfilment of all requirements of Postgraduate Study Graduation including; (d) fulfilment of all requirements stipulated by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies; fulfilment of the programme s credit hours requirement and PASS all courses as stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute; student s examination result shall be verified by the Postgraduate Studies Committee and endorsed by the Senate; and settle all debts and liabilities owed to the University throughout his candidature. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 30
21.2 Requirement for the Conferment of Posthumous Degree 21.2.1 Senate may confer the Posthumous Degree upon a student who passed away during the candidature. 21.2.2 The conferment of the Posthumous Degree is subject to the following requirements: student has fulfilled at least 75% of the candidature requirement; and student has obtained CGPA 3.00 and above in each semester throughout the candidature that he has completed. 21.2.3 Senate may give exemption to the requirements as stated in the subrule21.2.2. 22.1 General CHAPTER D PART 22 GENERAL PROVISIONS 22.1.2 This rule and all its interpretation made by the Senate shall be of immediate effect. 22.1.3 Senate has the powers to allow an exemption(s) as deems fit from the requirements of this rule from time to time. 22.1.4 All research findings and publications made by the student throughout the candidature shall be the intellectual property of the University. Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS [2016] 31